Yarn slub catchers



y 2, 1968 1.. MISHCON 3,390,553

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F Lester Mishcon 41M 7;; ATTORNEY July 2., 1968 L. MISHCON YARN SLUB CATQHEBS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1966 INVENTOR. Lester Mlshcon [2J5 cem i WI'RII' ATTORNE Y United States Patent 3,390,553 YARN SLUB CATCl-IERS Lester Mishcon, Miami Beach, Fla, assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N. a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 544,951 2 Claims. (Cl. 66--161) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Stop motion apparatus for a knitting machine is disclosed as including a slub catcher the design of which is such that the overall height of the knitting machine may be lowered without adversely influencing the operation of the machine. The slub catcher is between its respective yarn cone and the arm of its stop motion device, and is disposed with an inverted slot through which yarn may pass and out of which yarn may drop.

This invention relates to a novel yarn storage and delivery arrangement for circular knitting machines, and more particularly to a yarn delivery arrangement including a stop motion device effective in response to a broken yarn or a slub or other abnormality in the yarn to stop the knitting machine and slacken the defective yarn so as to prevent the defect from reaching the knit instrumentalities or a resulting yarn breakage from occurring at the knitting instrumentalities.

The necessity for providing a slackening of a defective yarn upon operation of a stop motion device has heretofore made it necessary that overhead yarn supporting racks for knitting machines be built at such a height that it is conventional for knitting machine operators to use either a ladder or a pole to thread the yarns properly in the various guides and stop motion arms on the rack.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel yarn storage and delivery arrangement in which the yarn engaging devices cooperating with the stop motion device are formed in a novel and improved fashion and can be arranged so that the total height of the overhead yarn supporting rack on the knitting machine may be reduced to the point that a knitting machine operator can manually thread the yarn therein from a normal standing position at the machine and without resorting to the use of ladders, threading poles, or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel yarn slub catcher for use with a stop motion device of a knitting machine from which slub catcher the yarn will automatically be released upon operation of the stop motion device so as to provide the requisite slack in the yarn which will prevent yarn breakage from occurring at the knitting instrumentalities before the machine can be stopped.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a knitting machine with an overhead yarn supporting rack constructed and arranged in the manner which is conventional in the prior art,

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a knitting machine with an overhead yarn supporting rack embodying the features of this invention,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of a stop motion device with the yarn slub catcher of this invention secured thereto,

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the stop motion device and yarn slub catcher of FIG. 3, and

3,390,553 Patented July 2, 1968 FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the stop motion device taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates a typical circular knitting machine construction and arrangement of the prior art. The knitting machine includes a floor supported frame 11 upon which a circular array of knitting instrumentalities 12 is mounted. The knitted Web indicated at 13 which is produced by the knitting instrumentalities is drawn downwardly and rolled up on a take up mechanism 14. Also supported by the frame 11 on vertical posts 15 is an overhead yarn supporting rack indicated generally at 16. In the conventional arrangement the yarn supporting rack 16 requires that instrumentalities be supported at three different levels above the head of the knitting machine operator. A first support ring 17 arranged slightly above the level of an operators head provides a supporting means for a plurality of yarn packages at which one is indicated at 18 in FIG. 1. It is customary in the art to place two such yarn packages in vertically stacked relation to minimize down-time occasion by exhaustion of the yarn packages. At a sufficient elevation above the first support ring 17 to provide space for the loading of two vertically stacked yarn packages 18, there is located a second support ring 19 formed at the periphery with yarn guiding eyelets 20 one accommodating the yarn from each yarn package 18. Located on the yarn supporting rack at a distance above the second support ring 19 is a third support ring 21 carrying stop motion devices 22 of which one is illustrated in FIG. 1. The stop motion device 22 includes a shiftable yarn engaging arm 23 which is arranged to drop in response to an abnormal condition in the yarn so as to release the yarn from the level of the third support ring 21. When released from the stop motion device 22, the yarn will fall and with relation to a yarn guide means 24 leading the yarn to the knitting instrumentalities, the path of the yarn will be materially shortened as illustrated by the dotted line position in FIG. 1. The shorter yarn path by release of the yarn from the stop motion device provides for a slackening of the yarn thus preventing yarn breakage which may occur in such proximity to the knitting instrumentalities that the broken yarn end would be drawn into the work. With the arrangement of the prior art as illustrated in FIG. 1, a slub or knot in the yarn issuing from the yarn package 18 would become lodged in the yarn guiding eyelet 20 causing the yarn tension to rise and tripping the stop motion to release the yarn into the dotted line path. In the prior art arrangement, if the yarn package supporting means 17 is disposed above the head of a knitting machine operator, then the operator must use a ladder or yarn threading pole in order to reach the stop motion device 22, and operation of the machine is consequently an inconvenient matter.

Referring to FIG. 2, the yarn storage and delivery arrangement of this invention is illustrated. The knitting machine illustrated in FIG. 2 may be identical with that illustrated in FIG. 1 including a frame 11, the knitting instrumentalities 12 for producing the knitted fabric web 13 which is rolled up by a take up mechanism 14. From the knitting frame 11 posts 15 support a first support ring 17 for a plurality of yarn packages of which one is illustrated at 18. Here the similarity to the conventional yarn storage and delivery arrangement ends.

The yarn supporting rack 26 of this invention includes directly above the support ring 17 for the yarn package 18, a supporting ring 27 to which the stop motion devices 22 are secured. Preferably, the supporting ring 27 is spaced sufiiciently above the supporting ring 17 to provide space for the usual vertically stacked pair of yarn packages 18. Associated with each stop motion device 22 is a slub catcher of this invention indicated generally at 28 in FIG. 2 which is so constructed and arranged that when the yarn engaging arm 23 of the stop motion device drops in response to an abnormality in the yarn, the yarn will also drop out of the slub catcher 28 and from the yarn package 18 the dropped yarn will assume the dotted line path illustrated in FIG. 2 to the yarn guiding means 24 for directing the yarn to the knitting instrumentalities 12. A slub or knot in the yarn issuing from the yarn package 18 will be caught in the slub catcher 28 thus causing an abnormal tension in the yarn which will cause the stop motion arm 23 to drop thus releasing the yarn into the dotted line position of FIG. 2 to provide the slack which will prevent yarn breakage closely adjacent to the knitting instrumentalities. With the arrangement of the present invention, with the yarn package 18 disposed slightly above the level of a machine operators head, the stop motion devices 22 may be arranged at an elevation accessible to an operator so that he need not resort to the use of a ladder, a threading pole, or the like.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the slub catcher 28 of this invention is illustrated as applied to a known type of stop motion device 22. The following brief description of the construction of the stop motion device is provided in order to describe the relation of the novel slub catcher therewith, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this slub catcher may be applied readily to any known type of stop motion device.

The stop motion device 22 includes a casing 30 preferably formed of non-conducting material such as plastic, on the interior of which is secured a metallic mounting plate 31. A pair of mounting screws 32 pass through the casing and are threaded into the mounting plate for securing the stop motion device to a grounded metallic bar of the yarn rack supporting ring 27 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Pivotally mounted in the casing 30 is the bent wire yarn engaging arm 23 formed exteriorly of the casing with a pair of up-turned yarn supporting hooks 34 which may be covered with a wear resisting plastic coating 35. Interiorly of the casing the yarn engaging arm 23 is formed with an offset portion 36 to which is attached a spring 37 anchored by means of a cord 38 to an angularly adjustable shaft 39 having a knob 40 protruding exteriorly f the casing. By means of the knob the tension applied by the spring 37 may be selectively adjusted so that the degree of tension in the yarn at which the yarn supporting arm 23 will be turned in opposition to the spring may be varied. When the arm 23 is depressed by abnormal tension in the yarn the spring 37 will snap over center and then act to constrain the arm 23 in a down-turned position as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 5, in which position yarn will be dropped from the hooks 34.

Pivotally mounted in a metallic bracket 41 in the casing 30 is a light wire thread engaging finger 42 formed within the casing with an up-turned contact arm 43. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 and in solid lines in FIG. 5, the finger 42 is adapted to be held in elevated position by a yarn extending taut across the hooks 34 of the raised yarn supporting arm 23. When the yarn supporting arm 23 is drawn into the lowered position by adnormal tension in the thread or should the tension in the yarn be materially reduced as by yarn breakage or abnormal slack, the finger 42 will drop by gravity into the dotted line position illustrated in FIG. in which position the contact arm 43 will move into engagement with a metallic switch plate 44 carried by a bracket 45 inside the stop motion casing. The bracket 45 is connected by means of a fastening screw 46 to a clip 47 extcriorly of the casing which clip is adapted to engage an electrical conductor 48 which is insulated from the knitting machine frame. A wire 49 inter-connects the bracket 41 in which the finger 42 is hinged with the mounting plate 31 so that the contact arm 43 provides a normally closed switch between the conductor 48 and the knitting machine frame. it will be understood that a plurality of similar stop motion devices 22 may be connected in parallel between the knitting machine frame and the electrical conductor 48 and that the electrical conductor 48 is connected in conventional fash- 4 ion to a relay device (not disclosed) for controlling the operation of a knitting machinedrive motor so that when the contact arm 43 of any of the stop motion devices moves into engagement with the switch plate 44, the drive for the knitting machine will be stopped.

The slub catcher of this invention preferably takes the form of a continuous length of wire formed at one extremity with a loop 69 by which the slub catcher is secured to the stop motion device by means of a fastening screw 61 threaded into the casing 30. From the loop the wire extends in a downwardly extending limb 62 to a point beneath the stop motion device and between the yarn engaging hooks 34 of the yarn supporting arm 23. The wire is then bent into an upwardly inclined inverted Y shape defining a yarn accommodating slot including a narrow upper extremity 63 and an outwardly flared lower extremity 64 providing a wide downwardly opening mouth for the upper slot extremity 63. The free extremity of the wire forming the slub catcher is preferably turned upon itself into a loop 65 to prevent injury to an operator.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, that portion of the slub catcher defining the yarn accommodating slot 63, 64, is disposed angularly across the path of a yarn extending from the yarn package 18 to the stop motion device 22. The operator in placing the yarn on the books 34 of the yarn supporting arm 23 of the stop motion device simply positions the yarn into the upper slot extremity 63 of the slub catcher which is, therefore, self-threading, i.e. does not include any eyelets through which the yarn extremity must be threaded. Since the yarn package and the yarn guiding device 23 leading the yarn to the knitting instru mentalities are carried in spaced relation at substantially the same elevation, and the stop motion device and slub catcher 28 are carried a higher elevation, a yarn when released from the yarn supporting arm 23 will fall by gravity out of the slub catcher slot 63, 64 into the slackened position indicated in the dotted line in FIG. 2.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what is claimed herein is:

1. A yarn storage and delivery arrangement for circular knitting machines comprising an overhead rack, means on said rack for supporting at least one cylindrical wound yarn package for upward unwinding of the yarn therefrom substantially axially of the yarn package, a stop motion device of the type including a shiftable arm, means on said arm for supporting a yarn thereon, and means effective in response to an abnormal tension in said supported yarn for signalling said abnormality and releasing the yarn from said arm such that said yarn lies substantially horizontally from said yarn package, means on said overhead rack for supporting said stop motion device substantially vertically above said yarn package supporting means, a slub catcher on said stop motion device but disposed between the shiftable arm of said stop motion device and said yarn package supporting means and including a yarn guide member formed with a substantially vertically yarn accommodating slot including a narrow blind upper extremity providing only limited clearance for passage therethrough of a yarn extending from a package on said yarn package supporting means to the shiftable arm of said stop motion device, and an outwardly flaired lower extremity providing a wide downwardly opening mouth of said slot, and means supported on said overhead rack beneath the level of said stop motion device for guiding yarn to said knitting machine.

2. In a knitting machine, means for supporting a cone of yarn for supplying yarn to the needles of said machine, stop motion means for passing said yarn to said needles when the tension of said yarn is below a predetermined amount and for releasing said yarn when said yarn tension. exceeds that amount, said stop motion means being adapted to stop said knitting machine on releasing said yarn, means vtor supporting said stop motion means above said cone of yarn and above said needles, a slub catcher 3,390,553 5 6 on said stop motion means having a narrow elongated References Cited slot that is opened at one of its ends, said slub catcher UNITED STATES PATENTS being adapted during normal operation of said machine 6. 27 to have said yarn pass through its slot as said yarn passes 11/1894 Wllson r 6 to said needles, and said sl-ub catcher being oriented such 5 19 6/1966 Ide 66 163 that said slot is substantially vertical with its open end FOREIGN PATENTS oriented downwardly so that when said stop motion means releases said yarn the yarn lies substantially horizontally from said cone. WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner.

716,549 10/ 1954 Great Britain. 

